Syracuse (WSYR-TV) -- A gunman tried to rob the Court St. Mini Mart in Syracuse Tuesday night and since then terrifying new details have unfolded about how exactly it all went down.
The incident was all caught on tape and a father and son, who were in the middle of it all, are sharing their story with NewsChannel 9.
A man entered the mini mart just before nine and approached the store’s cooler for a drink, but police say the man was after more than just a drink. When he got to the register he didn’t pull out a wallet, instead he pulled out a gun.
“I see him put his hands down and I see the gun. I seen the gun and it is just like the movies, so I shook. But I don’t want to give up,” the store owner’s son, Younis Hindi told NewsChannel 9.
Surveillance video shows Younis’ father emerge from a back room where he was saying a daily prayer. He heard his son was in trouble and made a quick decision to try to scare the gunman away.
“Put your gun down, put your gun down. I will kill you if you kill my son,” Younis’ father, Kaied Hindi yelled.
What looked like a gun in Kaied’s hand wasn’t, it was his black cellphone. And though Kaied was shaken, his faith wasn’t.
“When something happens, always, I pray for God to make it safe,” Kaied said.
It wasn’t just terrifying for the store’s owner and his son. A mom and her young child are seen running to the back of the store. The Hindi’s believe the suspect is the same man who was in the store a few weeks ago. They say they let him buy a drink even though he was 50 cents short.
“We're good with the customers. We help everybody. If they are poor we help them,” Kaied said.
Syracuse Police are asking for your help locating and identifying the suspect who got away without any money.
If you have any information that could help police in this case, call police at 442-5222.
